Hoist-block.



C. E. BEARD & W. G. STEPHAN.

HOIST BLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, I911- RENEWED JUNE 29,1915- 11311 6 ll [WU m Patented F61). 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 IVFf-ru 0186. 1L,

C. E. BEARD & W. G. S'TEPHAN.

HOIST BLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15. mm. RENEWED JUNE 29.1915.

1,214,745. Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- weighing device as it 1 fact that the amount UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLEMENT E. BEARD, 0F COLUMBIANA, AND WALTER G. STEPHAN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

HOIST-IBLOCK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CLEMENT E. BEARD and WALTER G. STEPHAN, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Columbiana, in the county of Columbiana and State of Ohio, and Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Hoist-Blocks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in hoist blocks and especially to means whereby the weight of the load carried at any time by the block can be indicated or measured, the present invention being a modification of and in certain aspects an improvement over the construction disclosed in the patent for hoist block, granted to W. G. Stephan, (one of the present joint inventors), Serial N 0.

912 434., Feb. 16th, 1909. In the patent to Stephan above mentioned, there is disclosed a hoist block having as a part thereof a weight indicating device which will at all times indicate the load supported on the hook of the block, this arrangement and construction having a marked advantage over the weighing devices employed prior to the Stephan invention, in the respect that the forms a permanent part of the block is always ready for use, and does not obstruct or interfere in any way with the hook, while on the other hand, the prior weighing devices were designed to be attached to the hook and were used only at intervals or when necessity demanded. As a matter of fact, the devices previously employed could not in most cases be kept on the hook of the block continually, in view of the space which they occupy and in view of the of head room occupied by the hoisting apparatus with the weighing device attached was often too great to permit of their use.

The object of the present invention is to provide a hoist block with a weight indicating or measuring means permanently associated with the block (although not necessarily attached directly thereto) which is always ready for use, and as in the Stephan construction, does away with the necessity for the separate weighing device which is at times attached to the hook of the block when a weight is to be indicated and at other times is detached from the hook and not in position for use.

Further, the invention aims to provide a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917. Renewed June 29, 1915. Serial No. 37,118.

weight indicating means, preferably electrically operated, which while employing some of the features of the Stephan construction, has the advantage that the weight indicator itself may be located at any desired point, on the block or at a point remote from the block, such as in the cab or station occupied by the operator of the hoisting and conveying mechanism.

These and other objects are accomplished by our invention which may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings, Figure 1 is an enlarged elevation with certain portions in section of a hoist block constructed in accordance with our invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the block swinging from a traveling crane; and Fig. 3

1s a conventional representation, showing the weighing instrument and a portion of the block including the variable resistance device carried thereby and also showing the electric circuit of the measuring instrument.

In the drawings, 10 represents a crane from which the block 11 is swung or supported by means of a hoisting cable 12 which passes about the sheaves of the block and the sheaves carried by the crane and is adapted to be wound on and unwound from a suitable drum 13. The block itself includes one or more sheaves 15, any number of which may be provided which are adapted to receive the hoisting cable 12 in the usual manner, and which are mounted on a stud 16. The block also includes cheek plates 17, and vertical bars or straps 18 which extend from the upper sheave supporting stud 16 to a lower stud or bar 19 which supports the loadsupporting hook 20. In this case,

the bar 19 is held from rotary movement in From the annular well 22, there extendsaxially of the bar 19 a passageway 28 which being in direct communication with the well 22, is adapted also to be filled with the liquid. This passageway 28 preferably eX- tends to the end of the bar and is closed at its outer end by a suitable plug 28. From the passageway 28 a second passageway 29 extends upwardly, the top of this passageway being relatively larger part which communicates with the lower passageway 28. Inserted into the upper'part of the passageway'29 is a bushing 30 constituting a cylinder for a small piston or plunger 31. At the top-of this bushing is a flange to which is screwed a cap 32 containing an electric resistance designated as a whole by the reference character 33. This resistance or. resistance device, which =is utilized in connection with the measuringinstrument to be referred to presently, consists ,of an upper diaphragm-.33, a lower diaphragm 33 and finely divided resistance particles 33 arranged between and filling the space between the two diaphragms, [both diaphragms being insulated from the surrounding metal parts. Between the piston 31 and the lower diaphragm 33 is a coil spring 34 which transmitsvariable pressure between the piston 31 and the lower diaphragm so as to flex the latter difi'erent amounts.

It will be understood that as the position of the annular piston 23 is'varied 'by a change in the load. supported by the hook 20, the piston 31 will rise or fall and will vary the fiexure of'the lower diaphragm 33 and consequently the electric resistance between the two diaphragms, in direct propor-v t1on to the variation in. load on the hook.

In connection with the variable resistance .memberjcarried by the block, I employ an I electrical weighing instrument 35 which may be located at any desired point with reference to the resistance member, and at any point more or less remote therefrom. For example, the instrument may be located in the cab or station occupied by the operator of the crane or hoisting mechanism.'- This instrument is somewhat similar in constructionto .an ordinary volt meter,'but will of course be graduated in pounds. The instru--" ment is connected by conductors indicated at 36, to a battery 37, and t0 the variable resistance member 33, one of the conductors bemg connected to the lower diaphragm and than the lower Lemme the other to the upper diaphragm. If the instrument is located at a point remote from the block, the conductors 36 may be wound upon and unwound from a suitable drum 38, which will or course pay out and wind in the conductors at the same rate that the block 11 is lowered or raised relative to the crane 10. 1

With; the arrangement and construction above described, the weight of the load supported on the hook at any time is indicated on the instrument, and at the same time the weighing is accomplished in a simple and very eflective manner. Having thus descri we claim is: 4

1. In combination with a hoisting apparatus having a frame and a load supporting member, means for weighing the load supported by said member comprising an elecv trical measuring instrument a controlling.

device associated with said instrument, a pressure actuated device associated with said controlling device, a cylinder and piston to the latterof which the load supporting member is connected, and means for transmitting pressure, from the said cylinder to said pressure'actuated device.

2. In combination with hoisting apparatus having a frame and a load supporting member; means for weighing the load sup ported bysaid-member comprising an electrical measuring instrument, a variable electrical devlce carried by the frame and connected to said instrument, and means for varying said device to a degree dependent upon the load supported by said member comprising a cylinder and piston to'one of which the variable electrical device is operatively connected, a cylinder and piston to one of which the load supporting member is connected, and means for transmitting pressure from the part connected to the load supporting member to the part connected to the variable electrical device.

3. In combination with a hoisting apparatus having alframe and a load supporting member, said frame having a cylinder formed therein, a piston in the cylinder, the load supporting member being carried by the said piston, a second cylinder in "the .member, means for weighing the loadsupported by said member comprising an electrical measuring instrument, a variable reslstance device carried by the frame and bed ourinvention, what frame, the second cylinder and first menconnected with the said instrument, and In testimony whereof, We hereunto aflix means for varying the reslstance 1n said deour signatures in the presence of wltnesses.

vlce in accordance with the load supported, CLEMENT E. BEARD.

comprising a well formed in the frame and WALTER G. STEPHAN. 5 a piston which supports the load, a secontl Witnesses for Clement E. Beard:

Well formed in the frame, and connected WILLIAM O. WALLACE,

with the first mentionfl Well by a fluid filled RAY W. BELL.

passageway a piston in said second; men Witnesses for Walter G. Stephan:

tioned Well and operatively connected with S. F. AGNEW, I

10 the resistance devlce. A, F. Kwrs. 

